Victoria came in a couple of weeks ago for a quick mini session because she needed a few headshots for a modeling gig. Yup you heard it right, a modeling gig for this cute 6 year old gal. Well you always get a little more than what you have bargained for with me! I tend to enjoy the work~ just a little! Especially when I’ve got subjects who are ready to have fun and are completely comfortable in front of the camera. Needless to say and from what you can see here it was more than just a couple of headshots and we all had fun! I cannot wait to hear more about her modeling experience.

I love capturing kiddos both on location and in the studio and look forward to the cooler temps and more studio work over the fall, winter and spring months. Note that I have a great bundled studio mini session package that is available here to check out. CRG Photography Mini Studio Session Bundle

“It is the summer before my senior year which has been exciting, busy, and a little stressful. I went on a vacation to California to look at colleges, took a trip to Door County to visit family and friends, and I have been working as much as I can in between. As senior year approaches, I am looking forward to my last volleyball season coming in the fall as well as softball in the spring. After high school, I hope to pursue a business major, more specifically in fashion merchandising and marketing. I love fashion and running my own business has been a dream of mine, so combining the two ideas would be a dream come true.

My senior experience with Cassie was one I will never forget! It was so much fun running all over my hometown of Sturgeon Bay to capture as many pictures as possible, and Cassie made sure they would turn out perfect. I felt so comfortable capturing these images which made it all the more fun, and I loved the way they turned out!”

Thank you Mc Kenzie for being so natural and easy to work with. We sure had an amazing Door County evening minus those little bloodsuckers at our final destination~ I’ll never forget practically choking on them!!!!!! Wowsers they were nasty and you moved through it to get the shot! I hope that your Senior Year is fantastic as I’m sure it will be and I thank you again for choosing me to capture you during this milestone time in your life!

I love getting the request to use Sturgeon Bay as the backdrop for a session. The downtown area, old steel bridge, local parks/beaches etc. really photographs well, but I suppose I’m a bit biased as I get to call this beautiful city home 🙂 So many travel into Sturgeon Bay and mention that they are headed up to Door County, but your already here and Sturgeon Bay is so much a huge part of what Door County is! The largest community with a population of over 9,000 year round residents includes many fantastic restaurants and retailers to choose from. The working waterfront is spectacular with several public beaches to spend a long day at relaxing or to just take in a stunning sunset. The arts are here as well. The city hosts its own music festival in June and live music can be found practically year round every weekend. Several galleries make their home here as well as theaters producing shows for audiences young and old. Sturgeon Bay should be your first and last stop during your Door County vacation!

“In high school I keep busy with sports such as swimming, cross country & soccer (not all four years) & maintaining friendships, while also keeping busy with school work! My Full High School Senior Experience was fun, creative and very easy going and went smoothly!! I enjoyed it & had a lot of trust that the pictures were going to turn out wonderful. Senior year is definitely nerve racking as I am anticipating graduation day, but at the same time I am excited to begin a new chapter in life & move forward with the world! The group session/model shoot was very fun as well and it was nice to spend some time with students from other schools and bond in the sense that we are all graduating soon & partipating in the classic senior photo session together was a comforting & fun experience! My future plans as of right now include heading to college and a possibility of studying abroad!”

Thank you Madison for sharing a bit bout you and also about your experience working with Cassie of CRG Photography. You sure had AMAZING weather the night of your shoot~ those last few images down Pebble Beach~ the reflection of the clouds, the wonderful sunset and you and your gorgeous self~ the ingredients for the perfect end to a fantastic evening together capturing you 🙂

If considering a session with CRG Photography be sure to touch base with Madison as she would love to let you know more about her experience as well as hook you up with one of her discount cards!

I had this idea, an idea to capture some of the fantastic kiddos from our own beautifully diverse County over the Independence Day Holiday. Even with it being incredibly short notice(like 3 or so days before I wanted to do the shoot) as well as a very popular time for family’s to vacation, I was able to gather together a nice handful of Tweens who attend 4th-7th grade at different local schools who were all a great representation of our United States Of America.

We had so much fun moving around my friend’s property in the late day sun capturing everyone’s individuality. Each of the kiddos brought along with them something that represented a bit of their family’s background. A necklace, a statue, a tee etc. Some knew of each other, others perhaps had played on a team with another or attended the same school. One would have thought that they were all old friends~ they blended together immediately and were incredibly comfortable with each other and silliness was immediate. Just what I had envisioned for the shoot. We all had so much fun, we ran around in the damp grass in our bare feet, we played with smoke bombs and sparklers went through lots of gum and even had an encounter(well almost) with a rather large snake ~ it was an amazing evening!

The six children that I was so blessed to capture together the eve of the 3rd represent America but also have deep roots in the following countries:

The children were asked what they love about Independence day and some of the responses were: ” I love the fireworks!” , “Being with my family & friends” , “Campfires and Grilling out”, “All the parades and candy” . All their responses were pretty typical of children and are indeed some of my own favorite things that we often do during the 4th of July Holiday. I will admit though that as I’ve gotten older a bit more reflection sets in as those veterans pass by in the parade and as the fireworks come to a close with the 1-2 dozen loud booming fireworks. The goosebumps often appear and I reflect on those in my own family who years ago came to America for a better life and for those who I love living and gone who have served throughout the years to help bring us all a better life. That is what Independence Day is for me. What is it for you?

Embracing being an American, feeling pride for our country and being ever so thankful for those who have served and sacrificed so much throughout the decades so that we may live in the free world is important for our children to know, understand and appreciate. Equally important is that our children are able to embrace who they are to be themselves in a safe and loving environment, to grow up understanding their family’s heritage, their story and to feel so much pride in it. Everyone has a story to be told ~ to be heard ~ to be known.

My newest project is Children Of Door County. Find the group on Facebook and schedule a complimentary studio shoot with me. Details are posted in the group 🙂

“Hello, my name is Brooke Hurth and I will be going into my senior year at Sevastopol High School. I have been part of the varsity volleyball team, softball team, and I have been a manager for the Sturgeon Bay/Sevastopol wrestling team for all 4 years of my high school career. Being part of these sports teams has taught me many important lessons that will be useful for me in my future. One main advantage of going to a small high school is that I know everyone in my class and have made some really great friendships with almost all of my classmates. One disadvantage is that when something happens either bad or good it spreads around the school like a wild fire; this has forced me to be careful and smart of my actions. I am very excited to take on my senior year and to be able to experience everything high school has to offer one last time! After I graduate, I am planning on attending a four year school. I am looking into the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh and the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, but don’t have any specific major or minor in mind yet.

I have known Cassie Gigstead and her family ever since I was a child. And a few years later, I had the opportunity to be a spokesmodel for Cassie! The whole experience was amazing from the group shoot with all the other spokesmodels from schools around the area to my full individual session. I started off having my hair and makeup done by Kayla Wilke which allowed my natural beauty to shine throughout the evening. Later, we headed to my school to take some shots at the softball field, which then led us to taking a few fun ones by the school buses! Cassie was always looking for the best locations to capture my pictures, for example, we stopped and took some in the ditch. To end the night, we went up to Ephriam to catch the sunset. Cassie made me feel comfortable and look good in every picture she took. I will definitely remember my senior pictures experience. I would 100% recommend any incoming seniors to get their pictures done by Cassie Gigstead through CRG Photography! You will NOT be disappointed with your experience and finished products!”

Thank You Brooke for the great personal write up and for being a fantastic 2018 Spokesmodel! We had such a fun evening capturing your Full High School Senior Experience and I’m so glad that you have enjoyed being a part of the team thus far! I know I’ve said it before but I just cannot believe we are here, capturing your Senior Photos and that your on the heels of your Senior Year! I’m so glad that you chose me to be that person/photographer to help archive this time in your life 🙂

Enjoy your summer! Smooches, Cassie

CRG Photography currently has a couple of early am High School Senior Summer Sessions dates available for Aug. left on the calendar for The Full Senior Experience or Mini Senior Experience and is otherwise booking into September through November. Session dates are filling every day ~ get in on the fun that is the CRG Photography Custom High School Senior Experience!

“Hello! My name is Mikayla Haack, daughter of Pete and Vonnie Haack of Algoma. I am going into my senior year at Algoma High School, and don’t even ask about my future because that has to be the scariest question ever! Nothing is set in stone, whatsoever. I am thinking about attending a four year college and maybe going into the financial field- that’s about as much as I know! High school has obviously had some ups and some downs. I will miss it a lot, but I look forward to post high school life.

Some of the things I have enjoyed about high school include sports, ski club, band, homecomings and proms. Volleyball, basketball, and softball will be such a huge part of my life, forever. Being a three sport athlete has been very rewarding for me. It teaches so much more than what shows up on the court or field. I have been extremely fortunate in the fact that my parents have allowed me to follow my dreams to become the best athlete I can be. They will always be my biggest critics, but are also my number one supporters. Obviously going into senior year, I know all of my “lasts” are coming, but I definitely would not say I am prepared for them. With the “lasts”, though, comes many exciting things: senior pictures, seniorities, college visits, graduation, ect. Senior pictures come first. They are a great start to the end of high school. For me, I have been looking forward to being a “model for the day” since probably seventh grade year.

Honestly, I was lucky enough to be a spokesmodel for an amazing Door County photographer, Cassie Gigstead. She was so awesome from start to finish! The very first time I went in to meet her, I knew she was the kind of person I wanted to work with. I had so much fun on both my spokesmodel shoot and my full individual session. She knew exactly how to make me not only look, but feel beautiful in every shot. When I got the news that I was going to need to be awake and ready to go by 3:45am, I was pretty shocked. That’s an early morning! It sure did pay off, though! Marley Gigstead, Cassie’s daughter, did my hair and makeup for me, and it looked great! I have lived across the street from the lake my entire life, but I have never woken up early enough to really watch the sun rise. It was phenomenal to see, and made a great backdrop for the photos. Moments like that I will remember for the rest of my life. Later, we brought it to my more natural habitat- the softball diamond. Cassie was able to get some very unique pictures and even spiced it up playing with my prom dress in a few shots! We then took it downtown and utilized the beauty of the old brick buildings and alleys of Algoma. Finally, we went down by the volleyball nets. She captured some really awesome diving shots in the sand! Overall, it was a wonderful session! I got a sneak peak this afternoon, but I am so anxious and excited to see the rest of the pictures! 10/10 would FOR SURE recommend getting your senior pictures done through CRG Photography!”

Thank you Mikayla for an amazing shoot! Your morning was fantastic and I’m sure will be a great memory for not only you but your Mom as well. You sure are a natural in front of the camera. You have so many images to choose from. Having all your locations in such close proximity made a huge difference. No driving a half hour to get to another location, which can lead to fewer images of course~ you truly made the most of your full session experience. Having your session right in your own hometown which has so much backdrop to offer well I’m sure it will be a great memory. I will remember it for always as well and am so happy to have you be a part of the 2018 Spokesmodel Team for CRG Photography!

“Living slowly. This has been a way of life for our family. We raise our daughters to love the Lord and to find happiness herein God’s world. Time is our greatest asset and we strive to use it wisely, together. In an age where busyness can overtake many, we did not feel compelled to follow suit. Titles, accolades, and checklists are not our priorities …we made a conscientious decision to live in the moment, to love, and to appreciate the beauty of this life.

We live a life of contentment and find that grace, both natural and spiritual, brings a calmness to our home. We are sure to always notice the glory around us…the warmth of a mother’s embrace, the strength in a father’s hands, and the love in the eyes between sisters.”

First of all, it was such a joy to capture this baby girl and her family in their home. You all know that I love babies hence it is difficult for me to not love both studio and in home lifestyle sessions, but there really is something to be said for capturing baby in their own space. Providing a bit of a studio look at some point during the lifestyle session with a prop shot for baby is always a goal as well. Therefore, another perk of planning a lifestyle session is that baby does not need to be captured during that tiny window ~ having open eyes in the photos is actually preferred.

Can you get over all that hair? I have not! My kiddos all had tons of hair, our youngest even had a little clip in her hair for her newborn shoot~ gotta love that! Also, Frankie the family’s Boston Terrier, what a guy! He was in on a lot of the action throughout our time together. He stole my heart immediately, I love all of the bull dog breeds but I love Bostons~ they make a great family pet and we sure love ours as well!

Finally, Don’t forget to schedule your in-home lifestyle newborn session today! In addition, It is always best to assure a space on the calendar rather than attempting to book a session after baby is born. Ask about the current newborn session discounts available.

Cam will be a graduate with the Southern Door Class of 2018. Cameron is such a fun guy to be around and he took his model session in stride~ so easy to get a little laugh or big smile out of this guy. He brought with him some really fun shirts that really speak to his personality. Being true to yourself for your session is so important and will evoke great memories later in life when looking back on the images. Cameron is very involved in the arts. He participates in forensics, school musicals and plays, chorus and solo ensemble which this year brought him a nomination as a exemplary soloist~ huge accomplishment! I’ve even seen a few of his Youtube videos~ so much fun and talent! I’m confident that he will be quite successful in some area of theatre, film etc. I even ran into Cam while capturing the end of year party for the Southern Door Chapter for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Door County~ stand up guy! I’m sure Mom and Dad are proud 🙂 Enjoying summer playing some golf, working a bit and preparing for Senior year are just a few things on his long list at the moment I’m sure.

Cam was able to finish his night out just after the lights came on at the Egg Harbor Marina creating some additional fun light to play with. I’m looking forward to more fun shirts and Cam’s silly and smiley demeanor during our Regular Full Door County Senior Experience later this month.